County: Limerick Site name: Church Street, Limerick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LI005-017 Licence number: E005001
Author: Declan Moore
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 557706m, N 657908m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.670690, -8.625333
A programme of archaeological monitoring was carried out at King’s Island, Limerick City. The work was undertaken by Declan Moore, Billy Quinn and William Anderson between 28 November to 4 December 2018.
The project involved the rehabilitation and installation of a water main along Church Street and Old Dominick Street, Limerick City. Open trench excavation was used to install the pipe along all of Church Street and part of Old Dominick Street, a total distance of approximately 170m; the trench measured approximately 0.4m in width and up to 1m in depth.
Church Street is situated on King’s Island, within the ‘zone of notification’ for LI005-017-, classified as the historic town of Limerick and directly north of King John's Castle (LI005-017014), a National Monument in the guardianship of the state (NM 288). There are also nine other recorded monuments in close proximity to the works including St. Munchin’s Church and graveyard (LI005-017043 and LI005-017044), a well (LI005-017127) and the site of two previous archaeological excavations (LI005-017179). In addition, several 18th- and early 19th-century buildings along Church Street are protected structures on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
The excavation of all open cut trenches was monitored; information was recorded on the type and stratigraphy of excavated soil and any potential archaeological deposits were investigated.
Most of the excavated area has undergone modern ground disturbance from the installation of services, road surfacing works and the deposition of demolition debris. One structural feature was identified: a short stretch of wall close to the location of the previously recorded well (LI005-017127) at 9 Church Street. This feature was recorded and disturbance was avoided by running the new pipe above the wall, having placed a protective sheet of terram geofabric and a layer of sand between the wall and the pipe.
No other archaeological features or artefacts were identified during the monitoring.
3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
